The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed
The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed
Couldn't load pickup availability
Writer: Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed
Pages: 640
Category: English Books, History Books
The 1947 Partition of India stands as the largest forced migration in history, involving around 14 million people, with 10 million hailing from the Punjab region. This book, a holistic examination of this pivotal event, sheds light on the first major post-World War II ethnic cleansing. Drawing from confidential British reports, it shares poignant accounts from eyewitnesses, survivors, and participants in the violence on both sides of the border. Offering a balanced narrative, the book emphasizes that peaceful coexistence isn’t hindered by religious differences unless exploited by divisive forces. Interviews with those who experienced the violence provide candid revelations, making it compelling for anyone interested in recent Indo-Pak history. The third edition includes four poems depicting the partition’s tragedy and additional oral histories, each offering a unique perspective. The book underscores the theoretical aspect of governments in East and West Punjab collaborating to expel unwanted minorities, emphasizing the ethnic cleansing goal during the partition.
Ishtiaq Ahmed was born in Lahore on 24 February 1947. He received a PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University in 1986. He taught at Stockholm University from 1987 to 2007 and was then invited as Senior Research Fellow and Visiting Research Professor by the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, during 2007–2010. He is now Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Stockholm University and Honorary Senior Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. He has published extensively on Pakistani and South Asian politics. His research interests cover fields as diverse as political Islam, ethnicity and nationalism, human and minority rights, and indeed, partition studies.
